Large displays are all the rage these days and a phablet with the
right price is strategically set to win big. Nokia certainly sees the
Lumia 1320 this way, aware of the need of a capable midranger to stand
next to the premium 1520.
The Lumia 1520 was the latecomer that went on to steal the show, but
not all Nokia had to say in phablets in 2013. The door was left open and
the Lumia 1320, which is probably more important to Nokia in the long
run, didn't need a second invite.
Nokia Lumia 1320 official images
The Nokia Lumia 1320 is toned down version of the Lumia 1520 and is
tailored to fit both the needs and budget of its potential customers. We
are more than used to seeing Lumia smartphones do well enough on far
from stellar hardware, and Nokia's choice of the trusty Qualcomm
Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset and a 5MP camera, seems to make sense on a
device like the Lumia 1320.
Big phones don't have to be expensive. Nokia's Lumia 1320 Windows 8
phone joins the ranks of midrange, affordable supersize "phablets" that
have been slowly spreading into the market, both on-contract and off.
Like the 6.3-inch Samsung Galaxy Mega and the 5.7-inch ZTE Iconic Phablet (also known in the US as the Boost Max,)
this 6-inch dual-core device treads the line between features and cost,
delivering a polished package for only $340 off-contract.
The LTE-capable Lumia 1320 certainly doesn't have the features-kapow of the higher-end Lumia 1520,
but at almost half the price, the 1320 is a good choice for someone on
the hunt for a large-screen Windows smartphone experience. That said, if
you're open to Android,
it's worth comparing the 1320 with its Samsung Mega and ZTE Iconic
rivals, both of which have an 8-megapixel camera resolution. While the
Mega costs over $100 more off-contract, the Iconic/Max costs about $50
less.
Design and build
So where does that leave the Nokia Lumia 1320, announced at the same time as the 1520 and gradually rolled out in its wake?
It
features a similarly sized 6-inch display, but with a much lower 720p
resolution. It has a Snapdragon CPU, but only a dual-core model running
significantly slower.
Even
the camera seems like an ordinary 5MP model with no hint of PureView
gloss. And one thing Nokia phones rarely have is merely ordinary
cameras.
The result is a phone that fails to excite or wholly
convince, but which arguably feels more comfortable with the Windows
Phone 8 OS than its brash brother.
You thought that the Nokia Lumia 1520 was big? The Nokia Lumia 1320 is even bigger.
At
164.6mm tall, it's roughly 5mm longer, while it's more than a
millimetre thicker at 9.79mm. You'd better reinforce those pockets,
because the Nokia Lumia 1320 weighs a hefty 220g – 11g more than its
heavyweight sibling.
It somehow feels less imposing than the 1520,
however. Nokia has filed off the sharp corners and gone with more
traditional design, while my test model's plain-black colour scheme
doesn't exactly demand your full attention.
Unlike
the 1520, the Nokia Lumia 1320 comes with a removable back section,
which folds right around the side of the device and meets up with the
all-glass front.
This makes for a generally solid-feeling device,
aided by the rear cover's matte finish, though I did detect some
creakiness around the power and volume keys on the right-hand edge.
Speaking
of which, these keys – along with the dedicated camera shutter key
further down the same side – are of a pretty typical size and shape,
with little definition and nothing much to set them apart from each
other. They're rather Samsung-esque in their nondescript shape and feel.
The
volume key falls naturally to hand – or rather, to thumb – when holding
the phone in your right hand, while it falls below your forefinger when
held in your left.
The power key is a little trickier to press
from a one-handed grip, requiring a subtle realignment of your grip –
something that can be a little precarious with such a sizeable device.
As
ever with all Nokia phones, though, the Lumia 1320 feels like it could
survive most spills of this nature. It's especially assuring to note
that Nokia has included Gorilla Glass 3, which is something the Lumia
1520 was missing.
Nokia may have downgraded the Nokia Lumia 1320's
display from the 1080p beauty of the Lumia 1520, but it certainly
doesn't feel like a substandard component. This is a 6-inch LCD IPS
display, which means that it's crisp and bright even when viewed from an
angle.
Still,
the lack of a Full HD display is noticeable in general usage. On such a
large and bright display, how could it not be? Small text on web pages
is slightly blurry, and images are that little bit less sharp.
Of
course, if you've never used the 1520 or similar – as I'd guess most
potential Lumia 1320 owners won't have – you probably won't notice the
drop in quality.
I'll discuss it more in the appropriate section,
but the Windows Phone operating system itself doesn't massively suffer
for the drop in resolution. The current iteration of Microsoft's mobile
OS was designed with 720p as the standard, so it looks and handles just
fine here.
On
the front of the device you'll find the usual three capacitive button
set-up – back (which can also be used to access multitasking), Windows,
and search, and they're as usable as on every other Windows Phone
handset.
Nokia phones typically look and feel very good for their price, but the Nokia Lumia 1320 arguably doesn't.
Its plain looks and creaky plastic feel are more reminiscent of one of the company's entry-level phones, like the Lumia 520. But at an RRP of £300 (which already appears to be dropping), it's not priced accordingly.
Compromises
have clearly had to be reached in spite of this upp-mid-range pricing.
That's evidently the cost of including an expensive-to-produce.
Here's what the Nokia Lumia 1320 is all about.
Key features
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
Quad-band 3G with 42 Mbps HSDPA and 5.7 Mbps HSUPA support
6.0" 16M-color ClearBlack IPS CLD capacitive touchscreen of 1280 x 720 pixels; Corning Gorilla Glass 3; Nokia Glance screen
5MP sensor, 1/4" sensor size, LED flash
1080p@30fps video recording
VGA front-facing camera
Windows Phone 8 GDR3 OS with Nokia Black
1.7GHz dual-core Krait 300 CPU, Adreno 305 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset, 1GB of RAM
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band
GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS support
8GB of inbuilt storage
microSD card slot, up to 64GB
Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
Built-in accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
microUSB port
Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP and file transfers
SNS integration
Xbox Live integration and Xbox management
Digital compass
Nokia Music
FM radio
Excellent battery life
Exchangeable back covers
Main disadvantages
Non-user-replaceable battery
No system-wide file manager
No lockscreen shortcuts
No NFC
The Nokia Lumia 1320 is a Déjà Vu of sorts - both on the inside and
out. We've seen this particular hardware configuration in a handful of
Lumia family members, and the similarities on the outside are hard not
to notice either.
But if it ain't broke, why fix it, right? The Lumia 1320 is nothing
out of the ordinary in terms of build and finish - but one can turn that
around and say it's actually quite pleasant and friendly. A
bright-colored polycarbonate back cover folds around the inner body,
which holds a 6" 720p display. Nokia Lumia 1320
The good news is that we're talking a massive phone here, so there's
quite a lot of room for a battery and Nokia made good use of it.
3,400mAh is a lot and it's a promise this Lumia will run as a happy
puppy for extended periods of time, while the dual-core Snapdragon S4
Pro chipset should ensure smooth sailing for Windows Phone 8 OS.
All the pieces of the puzzle tie nicely together when looking at the
Nokia Lumia 1320 from afar, but a closer look may reveal the compromises
that had to be made to reach this price point. We're all here for the
close-up, aren't we? Let's start our journey with a thorough inspection
of the Nokia Lumia 1320's exterior.
Opening large Windows onto the world
I've briefly discussed
the dimensions and the basic merits of the Nokia Lumia 1320's display,
but this 6-inch expanse of glass really is the phone's single major
defining feature.
The Nokia Lumia 1320's very reason for existence is to provide a large and reasonably sharp display and marry it with the Windows Phone 8 OS – then offer it at a reasonable price.
With
that in mind, let's consider a couple of the other features of this
display, and some of the related software enhancements Nokia has
included with it.
It's a common feature on Nokia phones now, but I'd really like to comment briefly on the Lumia 1320's supersensitive display.
It
means that you can use the phone even with gloves on, which is an
enormously useful feature for those of us in the northern hemisphere who
have been caught in one of the worst winters for some time.
I've
said this before, but why more manufacturers don't adopt this feature as
standard I'll never know. I suspect it's a cost thing.
Steal a glance
Another
display feature that isn't exactly unique to the Nokia Lumia 1320, but
continues to be fairly unique in the wider smartphone landscape, is
Glance.
This
clever little feature provides basic notification data – a little
symbol if you have mail, for example – while the phone is sleeping.
It
projects this data faintly onto the otherwise completely black screen
when you hover your hand over it, drawing very little extra juice but
negating the need to power on the whole screen just to see if you have
any fresh messages.
You can also set how much information you want to be shown on the Glance screen.
It's perfect for those 'steal a glance' meetings or dinner date scenarios.
I
also continue to appreciate the ability to power the Lumia 1320's
screen on with a double tap of the display – especially given the
somewhat anonymous and awkwardly placed power button.
Hidden storage
One
other, non-screen related, unique feature of the Nokia Lumia 1320 is
the positioning of its microSD slot. As I'll discuss in a moment, the
handset really needs this storage expansion feature, but it's accessed a
little differently from the Nokia Lumia 1520.
Rather than a
readily accessible external port, you'll have to remove the Lumia 1320's
rear cover to access the microSD slot, as well as the SIM card.
The
removal process is one of the most awkward I've encountered in recent
times, requiring a discomforting amount of pressure against the
seemingly tightly secured bottom left-hand corner. Indeed,
while the process becomes easier after a few goes, I had to wonder if
this was a good thing. Since I started using the device, there appears
to have developed an added level of creakiness when pinching the lower
right hand corner.
Given the importance of this storage expansion
facility, it's a bit of a flaw that it's not very accessible. My advice
to any Lumia 1320 owner would be to buy the biggest microSD card you can
afford, install it, then leave well alone.
Speaking of
installation, you'll need to insert the microSD card when the phone is
powered off. There's no hot swapping feature here.
Performance: Speed, processor Gauging performance is always a bit tricky when evaluating an unlocked phone that's intended for another market. There's the LTE connectivity, for instance, which works with 800, 1,800, and 2,600MHz, or bands 20, 3, and 7.
HSPA
speeds were the fastest I got on AT&T's network. I could still do
pretty much all the data work I wanted, but it did require a bit more
patience on my end. You may not have the same results.
Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET
And
how about the other kind of speed, the one attached to the application
processor? Well, you get a 1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4
chipset in the Lumia 1320, rather than the quad-core processor that
debuted with the 1520. Windows Phone champions have always said that the
lighter demands of the operating system mean the phones can do more
with less horsepower.
I certainly didn't notice any lagginess
while playing casual games or navigating around, so I wouldn't consider
the processor specs to be a setback the way that the same specs can be
on some feebler Android phones with lower-capacity chipsets. Nokia's
more budget-conscious big 1320 has 1GB RAM.
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One
concession Nokia did make was with onboard storage. The 8GB you get
isn't going to last photo and video fiends long, but you are helped with
7GB of free SkyDrive storage and an additional microSD card slot that
takes up to 64GB in external storage.
The 3,400mAh battery on the
other hand lasted me plenty long, more than a day with moderate use.
It's rated for 25 hours of talk time and 28 days of standby time. During
our battery drain test for talk time, the battery lasted a whopping 43 hours and 10 minutes, which is an impressive feat.
Call quality A GSM phone, the quad-band 1320 supports 850, 900, 1800, and 1900MHz bands. I tested it on AT&T's network, where I got some inconsistent results over the course of a couple of calls.
In
fact, call quality was changeable during the same call. At times, my
chief test partner sounded like he was divided into two layers, a
robotic voice floating over a human backbone. Other times his voice came
across muted and distant. So long as my ear hit the microphone target
area at the top, volume was excellent, with plenty of room to amplify
the sound in noisier environments. Even when the separated voice did
seem to glue itself back together, it sounded a little hollow and
robotic around the edges.
On his end, my partner said audio
sounded a lot better to his ears. I was loud enough, and only slightly
muffled with momentary scratchiness.
Nokia Lumia 1320 call quality sampleListen now:
Speakerphone
quality slid to the poorer side when I held the phone at hip level.
Volume was lower on my end, which would make it harder to hear in
noisier environments. While there wasn't any background fuzz, my calling
partner again sounded distant, removed, and hard to hear. Fortunately,
speakerphone sounded a little better to him. He encountered some strange
feedback and distortion, plus a slight echo, but overall heard me just
fine.
Battery life
With a sufficiently large battery inside, Nokia quotes the Lumia 1320
at a maximum 3G talk time of 21 hours and 9 hours of video payback
time. Our own test was concluded with an endurance rating of 75 hours.
That's how long the smartphone's battery would last you if you use it
for an hour of web browsing, an hour of video playback and an hour of
talking each day.
That's not bad, but if you want even better battery performance in
the Windows Phone segment, the Lumia 1520 is definitely the one to
check, as it crossed the 100 hour battery rating barrier late last year.
The GoodThe wallet-friendly Nokia Lumia 1320 is an LTE-capable phone with solid build quality, good performance, and a healthy helping of Nokia's extra software perks.
The BadYou won't find your dream camera on the Lumia 1320, and storage space is limited.
The Bottom LineSteer
toward Nokia's Lumia 1320 for an affordable supersize phone you can
rely on, but not before checking out Android rivals with fancier specs
and comparable price tags.
I've briefly discussed
the dimensions and the basic merits of the Nokia Lumia 1320's display,
but this 6-inch expanse of glass really is the phone's single major
defining feature.
Another
display feature that isn't exactly unique to the Nokia Lumia 1320, but
continues to be fairly unique in the wider smartphone landscape, is
Glance.
I've briefly discussed
the dimensions and the basic merits of the Nokia Lumia 1320's display,
but this 6-inch expanse of glass really is the phone's single major
defining feature.
Another
display feature that isn't exactly unique to the Nokia Lumia 1320, but
continues to be fairly unique in the wider smartphone landscape, is
Glance.
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